


Friendzoning (Yourself)

by ArchitectOfTheStars (AdaEinar)



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Acting, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Identity Reveal, Adrien is so in love and it's killing him, Almost Kiss, And Failing, Awkward Conversations, Chat trying to get over Ladybug, Chat will help his lady even if it breaks his heart, F/M, Identity Reveal, Love Confessions, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug Identity Reveal, Nervous Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Pining Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Practicing Confessions, So. Much. Pining., Supportive Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Supportive Alya Césaire, Tension, Trust, compliments, respecting boundaries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-13
Updated: 2021-01-13
Packaged: 2021-03-18 03:41:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28736655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AdaEinar/pseuds/ArchitectOfTheStars
Summary: Chat Noir makes an effort to hide his love for Ladybug. After all, he knows how much his flirty and relentless pursuit of her gets on her nerves. The problem is, he does it a little too well, and absolutely convinces her that he no longer has feelings for her. He shouldn’t be complaining, because it’s what he wanted, but it still leads to some . . . awkward situations.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 11
Kudos: 195





	Friendzoning (Yourself)

“I’m going to confess to the boy I love tomorrow.”

Chat Noir had to fight to keep his ears from flattening against his head in grief. He already knew his lady loved someone else, but being reminded of it so harshly--and being told that she was expecting it to progress--made him feel like someone was scooping out his stomach with a spoon.

“O-oh? Um . . . congratulations.”

In some ways, it was a good thing she was telling him this. Not only did it mean he trusted him--a thought that made him glow inside--but it also meant she thought he didn’t like her anymore. He knew that Ladybug had avoided talking about her crush back when he’d flirted with her every five minutes, because she didn’t want to hurt him. If she was talking about the mystery boy with him openly, that meant he had convinced Ladybug he no longer had feelings for her. It meant he had finally backed off and stopped flirting enough that she could believe he’d moved on. Which was good, objectively. Less flirting, respecting her boundaries, was good.

Except that he hadn’t moved on. Not at all.

“Really, th-that’s wonderful, m’lady,” he said. _Don’t you dare flatten, ears,_ he thought.

“I’m glad you think that. I was worried you’d . . . you know.”

_You were worried I’d be jealous_. He twisted his tail into a knot out of her sight. _Well, I am. But if you knew that, you’d feel guilty, because you hate hurting me._ So Chat Noir just smiled and said, “I know what you mean.”

They turned back to the stars. Chat Noir tried to find the constellations he’d read about, but his mind was too focused on Ladybug. He wished, not for the first time, that he knew who this mystery boy was. Not because he wanted to exact some petty revenge on him or anything. He just . . . wanted to know what kind of person it was that caught his lady’s attention.

"Could I ask you a favor?" she asked suddenly. 

"Anything, m'lady."

"It's . . . awkward."

"Anything," he repeated. 

“Okay, then." She blushed. “Could I practice on you?”

“W-what?" He spun to face her, confused. "Practice what?”

“Practice my confession. I’ve already practiced quite a lot with my friend, but I don’t think I got it quite right, and if I practiced with her again I can tell she’d start laughing at me, so . . . Just a few repetitions. I think I’ve almost got it.”

This shy, nervous Ladybug was a strange sight, although something about it was also kind of familiar. Regardless, the fact that she trusted him with this made his ears stick up straight.

“Of course you can practice on me.”

“Thanks!” her face lit up.

They stood up, and she fell into her focused mode. She took a deep breath, then paused. “Wait. How should I address you? I can’t use my crush’s name, since you’re not allowed to know who he is . . .”

“Just use my name,” Chat Noir said.

She gave him a weird look, then shrugged. “Alright. Here we go.”

Ladybug cleared her throat, and then said, “Hi, Chat Noir. I need to tell you something. Please don’t laugh. I—”

“Woah, wait, hold up,” he said. “You can’t start like that!”

“What?”

“Come on, you need to be confident!” he said. “Bold! Brave! Romantic! Think of me, confessing to you! Actually, that's the perfect example. Don’t say ‘Please don’t laugh’. You don't want to lead with something like that. You need to get down on your knees, pull out a rose, and say, ‘I love you!’”

She raised an eyebrow. “I’m not you, Kitty.”

“Look, at least leave out the ‘please don’t laugh’ part,” he said. “I’m guessing that any guy you’d fall for isn’t enough of a jerk to laugh at someone confessing their feelings, right?”

She smiled, and it was obvious she was thinking about the mystery boy. He tried to ignore the twisting in his gut at her dreamy expression. Was that what he looked like when he thought about her? Wow. “Yeah, you’re right. He’d never laugh at me.”

“Okay, try again, without that part.”

She sighed and rolled her eyes. “Okay, here goes. Chat Noir, I need to tell you something. I’ve been working up the courage for a while now, and . . . I like you. No, I love you. You’re _amazing_. You’re so kind, generous, thoughtful, sweet, smart, handsome, perfect, and I just . . . I know I’m probably not the first person to confess to you, and I understand if you don’t return my feelings, but I just wanted you to know.”

Aaaaaand he was blushing, probably enough that she could see it even in the dark. It was stupid. He shouldn’t be blushing. He _shouldn’t be blushing_. This wasn’t directed at him, he was about to lose her, and he was pretending to not like her anymore, but his face was still betraying him and—

“Chat, it’s your part now.”

“R-right,” he said, coming back to reality. They were acting. He had to focus.

He took her hand, wondering briefly if the mystery boy would get to feel her hands without gloves in the way, and said, “I feel the same way about you, whatever-your-civilian-name-is. I love you. You’re brilliant, you’re beautiful, you’re selfless and brave and _so perfect_ and—”

“I don’t think he'll say that,” she interrupted.

“What?”

“I’m pretty sure he doesn’t return my feelings. I’m just telling him because . . . because I need to. Even if nothing comes of it, I need to tell him. But I'm pretty sure he doesn’t return my feelings.”

Chat Noir rolled his eyes. “And I’m pretty sure he does, Bugaboo. How could anyone not fall in love with you?”

“I, uh . . .” She seemed too flustered to finish the sentence. Finally, she sighed in frustration. “Fine. I still disagree, but just go with it. Let’s continue.”

He said it again. “I feel the same way about you, Ladybug. I love you. You’re brilliant, you’re beautiful, you’re selfless and brave and _so perfect_ and . . . I love you.” He pulled her close, and for once, she didn’t fight it, as if she were seeing the boy she loved instead of her partner.

“I love you too,” she whispered.

“Would you . . . do me the honor of being my girlfriend?” He could hear his heartbeat. Or maybe it was hers. Everything around them seemed quiet and still, as if the world were holding its breath.

“Of course,” she said, moving even closer.

He put a hand on her cheek, and she seemed to lean into his touch. The blue of her eyes swallowed him up, like glaciers and rivers and sky and space all melted into something beautiful and indescribable. All rational thought fled him, like shadows flee when you turn on the light, and he leaned forward. Their lips were about to touch. Almost—

Ladybug pushed Chat Noir away gently. He pulled back, flushing, and berated himself silently as she fidgeted with her belt. “. . . I . . .” She laughed. “I don’t expect it to go that way, even if I kind of want it to.”

“Sorry,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck and hiding his hot face. “I, um, got caught up in the role.”

“Oh.” She smiled. “You’re a pretty good actor, Kitty.”

He knew he was. After all, Ladybug, who was excellent at reading people, couldn’t tell that he was still deeply in love with her. Even despite . . . that . . . almost-kiss.

“I’m glad you don’t like me anymore,” she said softly. “I don’t think I could do this without your help.”

He nodded frantically. He couldn’t really do anything else without dissolving into a stuttering mess. Not after _that_.

She swallowed and said in a shaky voice, “Well, I think I need to go now.”

“What happened to ‘a couple repetitions’?” he asked, unable to help himself.

“Oh, no, I-I think I’ve got it down!” she said, turning away from him and readying her yoyo. “Bye, Kitty! See you tomorrow!”

“Good luck!” he called after her.

The moment she was out of sight, he sat down on the roof, taking pity on his trembling legs. He could still hear the blood rushing by his ears, and his cheeks felt unpleasantly warm. Ladybug had destroyed any semblance of dignity he had, and she didn’t even mean to. Groaning, he stared up at the sky.

“I’m never going to get over her, am I.”

***

“So, girl? You ready?”

Marinette laughed nervously. She’d expected Alya to push for the confession, but she hadn’t expected it this early in the day. “Uh, I’m not sure I—”

“Come on!” Alya said. “Just get it over with! I promise he won’t laugh!”

And that brought Marinette back to her conversation with Chat Noir the night before. She blushed, trying not to think of the near-kiss. She still didn’t understand why he’d almost kissed her, or why she’d almost _let_ him. “Y-yeah, I know he won’t _laugh_ , but—”

“Adrien!” Alya called, waving the boy over. “Come on, Marinette wants to tell you something!”

Adrien turned away from Nino and approached them curiously. “Yeah? What is it?”

“Um . . .”

She could feel Alya’s expectant eyes on her, and almost felt like Chat Noir was there too, cheering her on. She opened her mouth, but barely got out more than a squeak. It was so hard to think, with those bright green eyes fixed on her, that perfect face, the understanding expression . . .

“Marinette?”

“I . . .” She swallowed, and grabbed his arm. “Come on. Let’s grow— er, _go_ somewhere else. You know. Away from Alya.”

Alya raised an eyebrow, but as the two of them walked away, Marinette’s best friend simply shrugged and gave her a thumbs-up. Once they were out of earshot, Marinette turned to Adrien.

“What is it?” he asked.

Marinette closed her eyes, trying to channel the safety and confidence she felt as Ladybug. The confidence she felt with Chat Noir. And the image of him smiling at her, helping her be brave and confess her love when he’d been pining after her only a few months ago, was enough to get her to speak clearly to Adrien.

“Adrien, I need to tell you something. I’ve been working up the courage to say this for a while now. I like you. I _love_ you. Because you’re amazing. You’re so kind, generous, thoughtful, sweet, smart, handsome, perfect, and wonderful in every way. I know I’m probably not the first person to confess to you, and I get it if you don’t return my feelings, but I just wanted you to know that I love you.”

Through her brief monologue, his eyes had been growing steadily larger, blush spreading over his cheeks. She held his gaze anxiously as he stared at her, anticipating his response. _Please tell me I didn’t just ruin our friendship, please let things work out, please . . ._

And finally, he spoke, his voice tentative.

“M’lady? Is that you?”

Her mouth dropped open.

“Kitty?”

**Author's Note:**

> Well, that was that! I've written some stuff for other fandoms before, but this was my first dabble in Miraculous Ladybug fanfiction. 
> 
> If you have any comments, compliments, or criticism, please comment! (Because I live off of comments.)


End file.
